Saturday, March 29, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) ― Two of three fatal shooting victims who lost their lives within 40 minutes of each other Saturday morning have been identified by the San Francisco medical examiner's office.

Daly City resident Jason de la Cruz, 31, and San Francisco resident Derek Butch, 23, were fatally shot at 19th Avenue and Irving Street in the city's Sunset District just before 2:30 a.m., police said. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.

The first shooting occurred around 1:50 a.m. at Excelsior Avenue and Athens Street in the city's Excelsior neighborhood, police said.

One male victim, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene, and a second male victim was transported to San Francisco General Hospital in critical condition, according to police.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

(03-28) 09:20 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- A San Francisco man beaten to death during an apparent robbery attempt in the city's South of Market area was identified by the medical examiner's office today as 71-year-old Rodolfo Carreon.

Carreon was attacked at 1:39 a.m. Thursday on Mission Street east of Mary Street, police said. A security guard witnessed the beating, shouted at the attacker from across the street and then called police.

The guard said the assailant had beaten Carreon and gone through his pockets before running west toward Sixth Street.

Carreon was pronounced dead at San Francisco General Hospital. Police have made no arrests.

- On Monday night, two taxi cabs raced each other westwards down Fulton street, before losing control around Arguello and demolishing several parked cars. The drivers sustained minor injuries, and were questioned by police. Don't know if they were arrested.

- A bank robbery ring was busted when a good Samaritan followed the robbers' getaway car, and got its license plate number. The three suspects were arrested. The men had robbed 15 banks since the fall.

- A man was sentenced to two months in jail yesterday for selling endangered fish.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Homeless Woman Beat To Death Outside SF Nightclub

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / BCN) ― San Francisco homicide detectives and the medical examiner's office were investigating the beating death of a homeless woman whose body was found Wednesday outside a nightclub in the city's South of Market neighborhood.

Police at the scene said the victim, who was between the ages of 40 and 45 years old, frequently slept outside of Boss Nightclub at 750 Harrison Street, along with her homeless boyfriend.

Investigators said observers indicated that the couple fought regularly and sometimes violently.

Police were looking for the boyfriend after discovering the woman's body about 1 p.m.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

- A man sustained life-threatening injuries in a Sunday morning shooting at 3rd and Palou in Hunters Point.

- A worker at the Clift hotel in Union Square was arrested after he raped a guest.

- Patrons at an Excelsior District pool hall disarmed and beat up a would-be robber on Friday night. He got away, but was later arrested by police after a brief car chase. It turns out he had robbed the same place before, and he only got hit by angry people's pool sticks after they realized he was the same guy.

98. Cythia Sareen Weaver, 46, killed after falling from her bathroom window while trying to escape her abusive boyfriend, 24th and Folsom Streets, 11:00 p.m., the Mission. She fell on 10/03. (died on 10/20)

97. Jonisha Tucker, 16, hit in the head with a stray bullet, Hollister Avenue and Third Street, 7:37 p.m., Hunters Point., 10/14. (died on 10/16)

79. Giovanni Lechado, 28, shot along with his wife, inside a car at 18th and Bryant Streets, 6:30 p.m., the Mission, 09/04. Their 4 month-old child was in the car when they were shot. Died at SFGH, 11:40 a.m. (09/05)

*54. Paul Lenz, 41, beaten and strangled, body found at Ocean Beach, 4:00 a.m., 01/15. (Declared a homicide 06/13) *Ocean Beach is under jurisdiction of the US Park Police, so Lenz's murder is not being counted by the SFPD in their total, even though he was killed in San Francisco.

18. Liri Lesku, 34, shot while sleeping in house at 407 Kansas Street, on 02/13, at 2:30 p.m. in potrero Hill. Another woman was critically injured, and a man paralyzed in the shooting. (died at SFGH on 02/26)

11. James Gibson, 29, shot to death on the 100 block of Loehr Street, 1:30 a.m., Visitacion Valley. (02/03)

* 10. Leonard Milo Hoskins, 49, bludgeoned in his home with a peice of lumber, 60 Lamartine Street, Mission Terrace, on December 22nd. His body was not found until February 1st. * The SFPD is counting this towards 2008's total, even though the man was killed in 2007. (02/01)

2008 Justifiable Homicides

1. Leonard Michael Cole, a 55-year old homeless man, shot and killed after lunging at police officers with a knife, Greenwich and Polk Streets. (01/27)

2008 Suspicious Deaths

1. Marcos Baas-Chi, 26, killed after falling from an apartment window on the 300 block of Eddy Street, 10 p.m., the Tenderloin. (03/18)

2007 Homicide Victims (Final SFPD count: 99 Final FBI count: 100)

104. Albert Collins, 30, shot to death while sheilding his 9 year-old daughter from bullets in drive-by at Brookdale and Santos Avenues in Visitacion Valley. 3 others including his daughter were injured. (12/31)

103. Leonard Milo Hoskins, 49, bludgeoned in his home with a peice of lumber, 60 Lamartine Street, Mission Terrace. His body was not found until February. (12/23)

102. Dewayne Larry, 24, shot to death on the 100 block of Kiska Road, Hunters Point (12/17)

* 82. John Daniel Schirra, 22, found dead 2600 block of San Jose Avenue, Lakeview (09/03) *Not counted by the SFPD, who regard his death as "accidental." The Medical Examiner found trace amounts of LSD in his system, and the police believe that he was high and then stripped down, neatly folded his clothes, went outside, stabbed himself multiple times, fell and hit his head, and then knocked on doors looking for help before he died.

* 58. Hugues De La Plaza, 36, found stabbed to death in his apartment, Linden Street, Hayes Valley. (07/02) *Not included in the SFPD's count because the Medical Examiner has not yet released an official ruling on the cause of death

18. John Donaldson, 44, shot to death in car, another man critically injured, in double shooting at Third and Gilman Streets, Hunters Point (02/19)

17. Cadelia Howard, 54, found shot to death in housing complex, 1200 block of Ingalls Street, Hunters Point (02/17)

16. Tony McDougal, 33, shot at Hayes and Baker in the Western addition. He drove to Haight and Fillmore Streets in the Lower Haight, and crashed into a bus shelter at the scene of another shooting, that had occured an hour earlier, and was being investigated by police. He died at SFGH. (02/12)

2007 Justifiable Homicides

4. Marcus Harris, 37, stabbed to death by his girlfriend after he attacked her, 1500 block of La Salle Avenue, Hunters Point (09/15)

3. Rene Alexander Robinson, 45, shot to death by police when he charges them with two large knives, after he stabbed a man to death (Homicide victim #22) and attempted to hijack a car and stab the inhabitants, 7th and Townsend Streets, SoMa (03/07)

1. Mario Vargas, 36, of Daly City, shot to death by police outside pizzeria, 5145 Mission Street, after pointing a gun at officers, the Mission (01/28)

2007 Suspicious Deaths and Unverified Murders

4. A man was reportedly shot in the face at 24th and York Streets, in the Mission, after which he got in his car, drove a block, crashed, and according to witnesses, died. There was no news, and his death is not recorded on the SFPD's crime maps. Did he not actually die? Did he die from the accident, and not the bullet? (mid-July)

3. Edgar Garcia Torres, 22, killed when a gang member and convicted felon running from police slammed into his car, Third and Quesada Streets, Hunters Point. This was ruled vehicular manslaughter, but another death under almost identical circumstances (homicide #32), was considered a murder. Not sure what the reasoning is. (04/18)

2. Joshua Glasser, 26, found naked, handcuffed, and suffocated, with a plastic bag around his head, in a ransacked apartment, 1900 page street, the Haight. Heard that this was considered a homicide, but later heard it was considered as "suspicious." (02/19)

1. Homeless woman reportedly shot to death, 401 Haight Street, Lower Haight. There was no news story, so it is unsure if the victim died (mid-January)